Bin Laden’s alleged aide’s assets seized

TIRANA, Dec. 22 – The new Official Gazette made known that the Finance Minister Ridvan Bode had ordered the confiscation of other assets of a man who allegedly worked with Osama bin Laden to provide support to terror networks in Albania. The order of the minister authorized officials to block four apartments, a house, four bars and shops, and more than 2 hectares of land belonging to Yasin al-Qadi, a Saudi businessman whom the United States accused of being a terrorist in October 2001 and who is on a U.N. sanctions list requiring all U.N. members to impose a travel ban on him and block his assets. Yasin Qadi is a Saudi businessman that the United States accused of being a terrorist in October 2001. The department said Qadi was an active fund-raiser for Saleh’s jihad’s group. The Albanian government has seized the assents of al Qadi, who is also being investigated for alleged money laundering for al-Qaida. He left Albania at least three years ago. Al-Qadi, who left Albania years ago, used six different names for the seized assets, all of which were in the Tirana area. There were no exact figure of the value of the assets as the authorities were still in the initial stage of administering the property. Some more assets of the same Arab businessman had been sequestered before, in the last three years, in the country. Albania has blocked bank accounts, investments and other assets of some other Arab citizens living and working in Albania and Islamic civic organizations accused by the United Nations of funding terrorist activities. The U.S. Treasury says al-Qadi is believed to be associated with Abdul Latif Saleh, who holds Jordanian and Albanian citizenship and who also was placed on a U.N. sanctions list. The U.S. has alleged that bin Laden provided funds to Saleh to encourage the creation of extremist groups in Albania, where Saleh is believed to be closely associated with groups linked to the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, a terror group connected to al-Qaida. Albania has approved the U.N. list of terrorist groups, which requires nations to freeze their assets and impose arms and travel bans on those on the list, which includes individuals and groups associated with terrorist activities. The Albanian government has also passed laws allowing it to seize assets believed to be linked to terror financing.
Assets of another conspicuous businessman, Abdul Latif Saleh, who holds Jordanian and Albanian citizenship, have also been sequestered earlier this year and last year. He was placed on a United Nations sanctions list that requires all U.N. members to impose a travel ban on him and block his assets. Saleh left Albania four years ago, Albanian prosecutors say. American authorities said his last known residence was in the United Arab Emirates. The U.S. Treasury Department last year ordered American banks to freeze any accounts or other financial assets held by Saleh. The department alleged that bin Laden provided Saleh with US$600,000 to encourage the creation of “extremist groups” in Albania. Albanian authorities have refused to make public any details about Saleh or say whether they share the same suspicions about his activities. U.S. authorities say Saleh is believed to be closely associated with groups in Albania that have links to the Egyptian Islamic Jihad. Saleh founded an Albanian jihads group that has been bankrolled by the Al Haramain Foundation, an Islamic charity with alleged links to al-Qaida, the Treasury Department said in September. American authorities alleged that Saleh’s Albanian extremist group aimed to destabilize Albania by inciting conflict among different religious groups in the tiny, predominantly Muslim country.
U.S. officials have trained Albanian investigators and prosecutors how to fight financial crimes, including money laundering and terrorist financing. FBI agents have been sent to Albania to fight organized crime in the country to “assist Albanian prosecutors and police with their experience in the fight against crime.” Post-communist Albania has become a popular country for trafficking of humans and drugs because of its lax border controls and weak police and judiciary. Fighting organized crime and corruption in Albania, one of the poorest countries in Europe, is a precondition for the country’s possible future membership in NATO and the European Union.
The Albanian government has also offered close cooperation with United States and international institutions in the fight against terrorism. Tirana has passed laws allowing it to seize assets believed to be linked to terror financing. Albania, a small, predominantly Muslim country, has been a vocal backer of the U.S.-led campaign in Iraq, where it deployed a unit of 120 non-combat troops to help with postwar reconstruction. It also has peacekeeping units in Afghanistan and Bosnia.
Albania has approved the U.N. list of terrorist groups last year. The U.N. requires nations to freeze their assets and impose arms and travel bans on those on the list, which contains individuals and groups associated with terrorist activities.